GlobalWA Annual Conference Agenda | Tuesday, November 18, 2025 | Microsoft Conference Center
*Agenda topics and times are subject to change. Please check back regularly as additional speakers and sessions are added.
TIME
SESSION
7:45am
Registration Opens
8:00am – 9:00am
Breakfast & Networking
📍Hood Baker
9:00am – 9:10am
Conference Welcome
📍Hood Baker
Welcome remarks by Elizabeth Stokely, Executive Director, GlobalWA.
9:10am – 9:20am
Opening Keynote
📍Hood Baker
Opening keynote by Naria Santa Lucia, General Manager, Microsoft Elevate.
9:20am – 10:00am
Washington’s Global Moment: Innovation, Responsibility, and the Future of Development
📍Hood Baker
Details
Opening panel bringing together leaders across Washington State’s global development ecosystem.
Speakers:
• Akhtar Badshah, Founder and Chief Catalyst, Catalytic Innovators Group, Distinguished Practitioner, University of Washington, Author of the Purpose Mindset
• Heidi van Rooyen, Chair, Global Health, University of Washington
• Jill Nishi, CEO, Philanthropy Northwest
• Kammerle Schneider, Chief Global Health Programs Officer, PATH
• Nancy Dalton, Director, Amazon Access, External Affairs, Marketing and Social Impact
10:15am – 12:00pm
Morning Breakout Sessions: What tools, partnerships, and policies will strengthen our work?
BREAKOUTS OPTION A: choose one long session
Leveraging Practical AI tools for Nonprofit Resilience
10:15am – 11:45am
📍Rainier
Details
Hands-on workshop introducing accessible AI tools, exploring risks and policies, and offering practical strategies for nonprofits to strengthen their impact in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.
Speakers:
• Cameron Birge, Senior Program Manager, Microsoft Elevate
• Michael Tjalve, Spreeha Foundation Board Chair, Founder, Humanitarian AI Advisor
• Paul Essene, Head of Product & Technical Innovation, Opportunity International
BREAKOUTS OPTION B: choose two short sessions
Funding the Future: Innovative Models for Sustainable Impact
10:15am – 11:05am
📍Lassen
Details
Highlighting innovative financing strategies—from blended finance to revenue models—through case studies and design thinking, helping organizations reimagine funding beyond traditional grants.
Speakers:
• Greg Snyders, Partner, Dalberg
• Mary Stata, Chief Development Officer, Mercy Corps
Finding Your Path Forward: Leadership and Career Growth in Global Development
10:15am – 11:05am
📍St. Helens
Details
A collaborative session exploring practical strategies and shared experiences to strengthen and elevate leadership capacity across the global development sector.
Speakers:
• Kim Rakow Bernier, Senior Faculty, Global Leadership Forum
• Linda Oseso, Chapter Co-Chair, Women in Global Health
• Melissa Merritt, Co-Founder & Managing Director, GoodCitizen
• Pallabi Deb, Chapter Co-Chair, Women in Global Health
• Samara Andrade, North America Director, WomenLift Health
Strengthening U.S. Leadership in Global Development
11:10am – 12:00pm
📍Sonora
Details
Washington State’s leaders, policymakers, and development experts will discuss how state-level innovation, global partnerships, and community-driven solutions can shape the future of U.S. engagement in global development.
Speakers:
• David Ballif, Founder & CEO, Cascadia Foreign Policy
• Luke Wenz, Deputy National Outreach Director, West and Military, U.S. Global Leadership Coalition
• Rebecca Lovell, COO, Greater Seattle Partners
• Ryan Calkins, Commissioner, Port of Seattle
Building Resilient Organizations Through Enterprise Risk Management
11:10am – 12:00pm
📍Lassen
Details
This session will showcase the collaborative process led by Slalom to develop a practical, reliable approach to enterprise risk management that participants can learn from and adapt within their own organizations.
Speakers:
• Ann Sonnen, Senior Delivery Principal, Slalom
• Michele Frix, Executive Vice President, Seattle Foundation
12:00pm – 1:00pm
Lunch
12:20pm – 1:00pm
Speed Networking
📍Rainier
1:15pm – 3:00pm
Afternoon Breakout Sessions: How do we shift systems and narratives for lasting change?
BREAKOUTS OPTION A: choose one long session
Storytelling that moves systems: making the case for global development
1:15pm – 2:45pm
📍Rainier
Details
How organizations can reframe narratives to make the case for global development locally and nationally, sharing real-world examples of what works—and what doesn’t—in shifting systems and public opinion.
Speakers:
• Cindil Redick-Ponte, Community Healthcare Improvement Linkages, Office of Family and Community Health Improvement, Washington State Department of Health
• Nicky Smith, Regional Director, International Rescue Committee
• Dr. Pilar Fernandez, Assistant Professor, Washington State University Paul G. Allen School for Global Health
From Insight to Action: Building Solutions Together
1:15pm – 2:45pm
📍St. Helens
Details
Facilitated small-group reflection and ideation around participant-generated themes.
Speakers:
• Cole Hoover, Learning Multiplier, Empire
• Jenna Fritz, Associate, Linksbridge
Julia Rose Walker, Independent Consultant
• Mary Williams, Learning & Development Leader, Williams Learning Services
BREAKOUTS OPTION B: choose two short sessions
CEO Roundtable: Invite-Only Discussion for Top Executives
1:15pm – 2:05pm
📍Sonora
Details
Speakers:
• Emma Kallaway, Partner, Kinetic West
Justice Without Borders: Advocacy for Global Voices Locally
1:15pm – 2:05pm
📍Lassen
Details
Explore how Washington-based advocates are amplifying global perspectives to advance justice and human rights locally.
Speakers:
• Carlos Yanez Navarro, PhD Fellow, Human Rights Advocacy and Community Engagement, University of Washington
• Carolyn Cole, Strategic Initiatives & Access Advisor, WA State Office of Equity
• Lane Polozola, Managing Assistant Attorney General, Wing Luke Civil Rights Division, Washington State Office of the Attorney General
• Sital Kalantry, Professor of Law & Executive Director of the Roundglass India Center, Seattle University
• Thomas Antkowiak,
Professor of Law
Seattle University School of Law
• Tylie Cramer, Pro Bono Attorney, Global Rights Advocacy
The Future is local: Evolving the Role of INGOs in a New Funding Era
2:10pm – 3:00pm
📍Hood Baker
Details
Speakers:
• Casey Cline, Managing Director, US, myAgro
• Laura Baerwolf, Managing Director, Mona Foundation
• Heather Hwalek, Senior Program Officer, Gates Foundation
• My-Lan Dodd, Attorney & Sr. Land Tenure Specialist, Gender, Landesa
Unstructured Space: Your Room to Breathe
2:10pm – 3:00pm
Details
Need a breather? Sometimes the best insights come when you step back. Use this time to:
• Contribute to the interactive art wall
• Decompress & recharge
• Continue 1:1 conversations
• Think and reflect
3:15pm – 3:45pm
New Voices
📍Hood Baker
Details
Rapid-fire, story-driven presentations from new GlobalWA members designed to spotlight how Washington-based organizations are driving local to global change.
Speakers:
• Aaron Milner, Lead Strategist, Intentional Futures
• Arlene Mitchell, Executive Director, Global Childhood Nutrition Foundation (GCNF)
• (Emcee) Jane Meseck, GlobalWA Board Member & Strategic Advisor
• Javoen Byrd, Executive Director, Hawk Foundation for Research and Education in African Culture
• Natalie Davis, Senior Customer Success Manager, Carbon Direct
• Dr. Pilar Fernandez, Assistant Professor, Washington State University Paul G. Allen School of Global Health
• Rebecca Muston, Development Director, Ecologists Without Borders (EcoWB)
3:45pm – 4:15pm
Mobilizing Beyond the Conference
📍Hood Baker
Details
After a full day of honest conversations, challenging questions, and new connections, this closing session shifts from what we’ve learned to what we’ll do. Rather than a traditional panel discussion, Akhtar will facilitate a dynamic, participant-driven conversation that captures the energy in the room and channels it into momentum.
This “un-panel” weaves together voices from throughout the day, asking both speakers and participants to explore: What surprised you? What made you uncomfortable? What idea are you taking back to your team tomorrow? The format is intentionally loose and responsive, creating space for spontaneity, vulnerability, and collective commitment. The goal is to ignite movement and help participants leave not just informed but activated.
Speakers:
• Akhtar Badshah, Founder and Chief Catalyst, Catalytic Innovators Group; Distinguished Practitioner, University of Washington; Author of Purpose Mindset
• Atul Tandon, CEO, Opportunity International
• Jennifer Butte-Dahl, Senior Director, Social Innovation Lead, APCO Worldwide
• Pippa Zainoeddin, Deputy Director, Strategy Planning & Management, Gates Foundation
4:15pm – 4:20pm
Closing remarks
📍Hood Baker
Closing remarks by GlobalWA’s Executive Director, Elizabeth Stokely.
4:30pm – 5:30pm
Reception
Brought to you by the Hawk Foundation for Research and Education in African Culture!
Mingle with colleagues while enjoying food, drinks, and a live music performance by Ethnomusicologist and Hawk Foundation Executive Director Javoen Byrd.
Thank you to
our sponsors!
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